Pin-locking means



May 31 1927. 1,630,523

L. .1; BROWN PIN LOCKING MEANS Filed June 1926 Infant? Patented May 31,1927.

UNITED STATES LLOYD (I. BBDWN, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

FIN-LOCKING MEANS.

Application filed June 1,

My invention relates to an improvement in means for locking connectingpins in place and more particularly as a safety device for theconnecting pins of brake beams employed in railroad equipment. a

The object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive device in whichcertain portions are reenforced against improper flexure and distortion;that is to say my invention is intended to overcome certain objectionsencountered in the type of device here in question; the features of theinvention and its advantages being readily comprehended from thedetailed description of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a connecting rod and brake leverpivotally connected together by means of a connecting pin which isprovided with my improved locking means. t

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 ofFigure 1. I Figure 3 is a plan view of a sheet metal blank cut andformed to produce my improved locking means.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the blank formed up into shape readyfor application.

My invention refers to the type of safety device disclosed in UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 1,388,317, issued to John McMullien; myinvention involving improvements in a device of' the type mentionedadapted to overcome certain weaknessesand objections inherent in adevice of the type in question.

'My improved means is intended to be formed outof sheet metal cut to apredetermined size and length, namely to provide the elongatedrectangular sheet or blank 10 shown in Figure 3 and provided at oneendwith a pin-receiving opening 11. The blank 10, throughout apredetermined distance and at the apert-ured end thereof, through theaction of suitable dies, is provided with corrugations indicated at 12which are prefer ably arranged in the diagonal or slanting mannerclearly shown in Figures 3 and 4 so as to extend at an angle to theedges of the sheet or blank and therefore at an acute angle to the bond13 in the blank whereby the lower leg or apertured portion 14 1s formedand the partially corrugated and partially plain surfaced upstanding legor portion 15 is provided. The corrugations 12 are formed in the blank10 so as to ex- 1926. Serial No. 112,992.

tend to a point beyond the bend 13 inthe the article of manufacture inits commercial,

form ready for application to a connecting pin. In the particularexemplification disclosedin the drawing, I show my improved meansapplied to the connecting pin 17 disposed through the bifurcated end ofa connecting rod 18 and a brake lever 19 disposed between thebifurcations of the connecting rod 18. Connecting pins of the type inquestion have usually been secured in place by ordinary cotter-pinsdisposed through a suitable opening formed in the tail end of theconnecting pin. It has been found in practice that the workmenfrequently fail to properly spread the cotter-pins after insertion orfail to inserta cotter-pin through the aperture in the connecting pin,with the result that the connecting pins soon are displacechand theconnecting bars and levers become disconnected and derailments orserious accidents likely to be encountered. Furthermore, cotter-pinsfrequently become battered down or sheared olf in the constant operationof the elements connected by the connecting pin. In the use of myimproved means, it is evident that cotter-pins need not be employed andthat therefore the opera tion of providing the connecting pins withsuitable holes can also be done away with;

while at the same time shorter connecting pins may be employed. a Myimproved means, in the form shown in Figure 1, is readily applied toequipment in service'by inserting the leg 14 inter1nediate of one forkor bifurcation of the connecting rod 18 and the lever 19, aligning theopening 11 in the leg 14 with the respective openings in thebifurcations of the connecting bar and the intermediate lever 19, afterwhich the connecting pin 17 is'inserted into place through theregistered apertures of ing pin is introduced so that the upstanding leg15 of my llIlPlOVGdlllGttHS will be disposed toward the side oi theconnected elements on which the head of the connecting pin is located.

After the positioning ofithewlockiug device as just described, the upperor free end iof'the upstanding leg loisthen bent down across' the headoftheconnecting pin so as to shavethe free end of the leg 15 in closeproximity to the head of the connecting pin and'therefore substantiallyparallel With the lcwer apertured leg-l l ol the device. As is apparentfrom the construction"shown m Figure 2, theconnecting pin 17 will belocked in placeagainst accidentallongitudinal I movement. a l a Thedevice is made of suitable sheet metal permitting the bending or fiexingot the leg 15; suchbending'taking place at a point slightly removed fromthe corrugations 12 as shown in Figure 52. With the blank provided withthe corrugations 12, the lower leg H, namely the portion disposedintermediate of one fork or bifurcation of theconnecting bar and thelever 19, will be stiliened against ilexure and distortion whichotherwise would result during the bending of a portion of the upstandingleg 15 across the end ofthe connectingipin. By

providing the device with the reentoroing ribs 16 within the angledefinedby the lower leg 14 andiupstandinig leg 15 it is also apparentthat any distortion or improper bending at the juncture between thelower leg let it and upstanding leg 15 i during the final bending of theportion of leg 15 across thehead of the pinwill be impossible; while atthe same tiinewfracture of the device at the bend 13 by repeatedapplications o'lt' the deviceor rather bending of tlierfreeend of theupstanding portion 15 when it is desiredgi'or any reason, to remove theconnectin; pin, will be prevented. As is-clearly apparent from theconstruction showln reniovalwof the connecting pin may bereadilyaccomplished bybending the end of leg 15 upwardly in Figure 2sutliciently to clear the head of .the cohneetingpin; in other words,application of my improvedloclring device may not only be readilyaccomplished, but removal of the locking pin when occa sion requires canalso be easily made andrepeated use of the locking device had.

As shown in Figure 2, the corrugations 12, in addition to being arrangedthrouglr out the entireapertin'ed lower leg 14, are made to extendmerely throughout a part of the adjoining upstanding leg15-so as tobeslightly removed from the point where 'the upstanding. leg is tobe bentback across the head of the pin, in order that bending of the upstandingleg 15 may be readily accomplished without fracturing the blank duringrepeated bel'iding operations.

As locking devices of the general type here in question must be ofco]nparatively thin sheet inetal because 01 the small amount of play towit about one-eighth of an inch. between the fork of the connecting rodand the brake lever, it is evident that distortion of the thin sheetmetal very apt to occur during application of the device;

Any bending or i even gilt distortion of the'devlce and especially ofthe apertured pin receiving legsquiteobjectionable he :ause it willinterfere with the easy and proper operation of the-bunke mechanism andis apt to cause the levcr to bind. A concausing the wheelstoslide andbeconire flat in addition to producing excessive wear on thebrake-shoes. uientrot vv'heels is,o'fgcourse, quite expensive; while theundue wear on the brakeshoes necessitates constant adjustmentcif thebrake 1c runs to provide proper brake operation.

My invention designed :to overcome these seriousobjections as .vell asto obviate the necessity of constantadjustments and replacements andtherefore tendstoward a great savingotltimc and expense; as thereent'orcenicnt of the apertured i portion of the device as for exampleby means of undulations or corrugations eitl ieriobliquely orlongitiu'linzilly will prevent metal distcrtion cbe tn'een theconnectingii'dd l8 and the brake lever 19; While improper :tiexing orbending at the juncture [between the two portions or the devicelis notonly prevented byproperly arranged corrugations but also by thereenforcing ribs or upset portionslfi.

As an enemplilication of niyi invention I have shovvnthe undulations orcorrugations arranged obliquely to the longitudinal edges of: the blank,butit will be understood that they maybe differently.arranged relativeto the longitudinaledges and the extent thereof may be varied without,lioivever, departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is: i a :Lockingineans of the character described, composedol :1 blank of sheet metal provided with i a plurality of corrugationsdisposed transversely of the blank at an angle to the peripheriesthereof, said corrrwations extending throughout a predetermined lengthof the blank While the opposite end of the blank is provided with aplain surface, the

The trueing or replace corrugated end of the blank being provided With apin receiving aperture, the corrugated end of said blank at apredetermined point intermediate of the aperture and the opposite end ofthe blank being bent so as to provide a pair of legs or portionsdisposed at right angles to each other, the juncture between the le s orportions, Within the angle defined there y, being provided withreenforcing ribs disposed lengthwise, while 1 the plain surfaced portionof one of said legs is bent into parallel spaced relation with theapertured leg.

LLOYD J. BROWN.

